Double-Walled Plastic Grain Bin With Integrated Fluid Storage Between Walls

ABSTRACT

In one embodiment, a combine harvester comprising a chassis; and a double-walled, plastic grain storage bin coupled to the chassis, the bin configured to store crop material processed by the combine harvester.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure is generally related to agriculture technology,and, more particularly, grain storage bins for combine harvesters.

BACKGROUND

Combine harvesters are provided with a processing system comprising acombine core and a cleaning system. The combine core comprises one ormore rotors used to thresh and separate grain. Within the cleaningsystem, oscillating sieve assemblies in conjunction with air flow removethe chaff from the threshed grain, the latter falling through thechaffer and sieve assembly to an oscillating clean grain pan. The cleangrain pan, in turn, directs the clean grain to a discharge auger thatelevates the grain to an onboard grain storage bin. A second oscillatingpan directs materials other than grain over the edge of the bottom sieveassembly to a different discharge outlet for recirculation back throughthe threshing, separating and cleaning assemblies of the processingsystem to extract the previously unthreshed grain.

The grain storage bin is generally a welded, bolted, or riveted steelstructure coupled to the chassis of the combine harvester and comprisesseveral parts for support and containment of grain.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Many aspects of the disclosure can be better understood with referenceto the following drawings. The components in the drawings are notnecessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon clearlyillustrating the principles of the present disclosure. Moreover, in thedrawings, like reference numerals designate corresponding partsthroughout the several views.

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram that illustrates in a front perspectiveview an example embodiment of a combine harvester.

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram that illustrates in a front perspective,fragmentary view an example embodiment of a front portion of a combineharvester with an embodiment of a double-walled, plastic grain storagebin.

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram that illustrates in a bottom perspective,fragmentary view an example embodiment of a double-walled, plastic grainstorage bin.

FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram that illustrates in a top perspective,fragmentary view an example embodiment of a double-walled, plastic grainstorage bin.

FIG. 5A is a schematic diagram that illustrates in a top-frontperspective view an example embodiment of a double-walled, plastic grainstorage bin.

FIG. 5B is a schematic diagram that illustrates in an overhead, planview an example embodiment of the double-walled, plastic grain storagebin of FIG. 5A.

FIG. 5C is a schematic diagram that illustrates in side elevation,outline view the double-walled, plastic storage bin of FIG. 5A.

DESCRIPTION OF EXAMPLE EMBODIMENTS Overview

In one embodiment, a combine harvester comprising a chassis; and adouble-walled, plastic grain storage bin coupled to the chassis, the binconfigured to store crop material processed by the combine harvester.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Certain embodiments of a combine harvester having a double-walled,plastic grain storage bin are disclosed that may reduce the quantity ofparts and/or weight associated with conventional grain storage bins aswell as provide space savings through its inherent fluid storagecapabilities. In one embodiment, a combine harvester is disclosed with adouble-walled, plastic grain storage bin, where the space between thetwo walls of the bin may be used for one or more separate fluid storagecompartments associated respectively with one or more different fluids.

Digressing briefly, traditional grain storage bins of combine harvesterscomprise a welded, bolted, or riveted steel structure comprising severalparts for support and containment of grain. Such large assemblies havemany parts, and take considerable time to assemble. In addition, combineharvesters have a fuel tank, among other fluid storage compartments. Thecombination of the conventional grain storage bin and fuel storageoccupies a defined area/volume on the combine harvester. In certainembodiments of combine harvesters, the grain storage bin is comprised ofa double-walled, plastic material (or blend, such as a blend ofpolyethylene and nylon), reducing the quantity of sheet-type parts usedto contain the crop material (e.g., grain). Also, the space between thetwo walls of the double-walled grain storage bin may be occupied by oneor more separate compartments to store one or more fluids for use by oneor more subsystems of the combine harvester, replacing one or moreexisting storage tanks or containers with a single double-walled grainstorage bin.

Having summarized certain features of combine harvesters withdouble-walled, plastic grain storage bins of the present disclosure,reference will now be made in detail to the description of thedisclosure as illustrated in the drawings. While the disclosure will bedescribed in connection with these drawings, there is no intent to limitit to the embodiment or embodiments disclosed herein. For instance, inthe description that follows, one focus is on a combine harvester havinga transverse-rotor design, though it should be appreciated within thecontext of the present disclosure that combine harvesters of otherdesigns, such as hybrid, conventional, axial, or dual axial, may be usedand hence are contemplated to be within the scope of the presentdisclosure. Further, although the description identifies or describesspecifics of one or more embodiments, such specifics are not necessarilypart of every embodiment, nor are all various stated advantagesnecessarily associated with a single embodiment or all embodiments. Onthe contrary, the intent is to cover all alternatives, modifications andequivalents included within the spirit and scope of the disclosure asdefined by the appended claims. Further, it should be appreciated in thecontext of the present disclosure that the claims are not necessarilylimited to the particular embodiments set out in the description.

Note that references hereinafter made to certain directions, such as,for example, “front”, “rear”, “left” and “right”, are made as viewedfrom the rear of the combine harvester looking forwardly.

Referring now to FIG. 1, shown is an example embodiment of a combineharvester 10 with a double-walled, plastic grain storage bin. It shouldbe understood by one having ordinary skill in the art, in the context ofthe present disclosure, that the example combine harvester 10 shown inFIG. 1 is merely illustrative, and that other combine configurations maybe implemented in some embodiments. The example combine harvester 10 isshown in FIG. 1 without a header, and from front to back, comprises afeeder house 12 and an operator cab 14, followed by a processing system16 that includes a plurality of components collectively embodied in acombine core (e.g., with threshing and separating functionality) and acleaning system. In operation, the combine harvester 10 includes aharvesting header at the front of the machine that cuts crop materialsand delivers the cut crop materials to the front end of the feeder house12. Such crop materials are moved upwardly and rearwardly within andbeyond the feeder house 12 by a conveyor 18 until reaching a thresherrotor 20 of the processing system 16. The thresher rotor 20 comprises asingle, transverse rotor, such as that found in a Gleaner® Super SeriesCombine by AGCO, though some embodiments may have a dual rotor or axialor hybrid configuration. The thresher rotor 20 processes the cropmaterials in known manner and passes a portion of the crop material(e.g., heavier chaff, corn stalks, etc.) toward the rear of the combineharvester 10 and another portion (e.g., grain and possibly light chaff)to a cleaning system of the processing system 16 to undergo a cleaningprocess, as described below. In some embodiments, such as in axial flowdesigns, the conveyor 18 may convey the cut crop material to a beaterbefore reaching a rotor or rotors.

In the processing system 16, the crop materials undergo threshing andseparating operations. In other words, the crop materials are threshedand separated by the thresher rotor 20 operating in cooperation withcertain elements of a rotor cage 22, for instance, well-known foraminousprocessing members in the form of threshing concave assemblies andseparator grate assemblies, with the grain (and possibly light chaff)escaping through the concave assemblies and the grate assemblies andonto one or more distribution augers 24 located beneath the processingsystem 16. Bulkier stalk and leaf materials are generally retained bythe concave assemblies and the grate assemblies and are disbursed outfrom the processing system 16 and ultimately out of the rear of thecombine harvester 10. The distribution augers 24 uniformly spread thecrop material that falls upon it, with the spread crop material conveyedto accelerator rolls 26. The accelerator rolls 26 speed the descent ofthe crop material toward a cleaning system 28. Also shown is atransverse, air blowing apparatus 30 (e.g., fan, or equivalently, ablower), which discharges pressurized air through one or more ducts,such as ducts 32 (e.g., which in one embodiment, includes an upper ductand lower duct, as explained below, though not limited to two ducts) tothe cleaning system 28 to facilitate the cleaning of the heavier cropmaterial directly beneath the accelerator rolls 26 while causing thechaff to be carried out of the rear of the combine harvester 10. Thecleaning system 28 includes plural stacked sieves 34 (e.g., alsoreferred to herein as an oscillating sieve assembly), through which thefan 30 provides an additional push or influence (through a lower duct32, as explained below) of the chaff flow to the rear of the combineharvester 10.

The cleaned grain that drops to the bottom of the cleaning system 28 isdelivered by an auger 36 that transports the grain to a well-knownelevator mechanism (not shown, but located on the right hand side of thecombine harvester 10), which conveys the grain to a double-walled,plastic grain storage bin 38 located at the top of the combine harvester10 (shown in FIG. 1 with flaps, though some embodiments may omit theflaps). Any remaining chaff and partially or unthreshed grain isrecirculated through the processing system 16 via a tailings returnauger 40. Also shown is a pivoting grain unloading spout 42 (shown inthe stored position) encompassing an auger 44 that cooperates with across auger (not shown, but disposed beneath a portion of thedouble-walled, plastic grain storage bin 38) to unload the processedgrain from the combine harvester 10 to another vehicle. As should beappreciated by one having ordinary skill in the art, the combineharvester 10 also comprises a chassis 46 to which the wheels,drivetrain, steering assemblies, double-walled, plastic grain storagebin 38, cab 14, and processing system 16, among other components, arecoupled. As combine processing and its associated components are knownto those having ordinary skill in the art, further discussion of thesame is omitted here for brevity.

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of a front portion of the combineharvester 10 and an embodiment of the double-walled, plastic grainstorage bin 38 (also referred to herein as a storage volume). Note thatthe flaps (e.g., plastic components formed from the plastic moldingprocess to expand the grain storage capacity of the double-walled,plastic grain storage bin 38) of the storage bin 38, among otherfeatures not pertinent to the following description and shown in FIG. 1are omitted here for brevity. In some embodiments, as indicated above,there may be no flaps used in association with the double-walled,plastic grain storage bin 38. The double-walled, plastic grain storagebin 38 (hereinafter, also merely “bin”) is double-walled, plastic, andpolygonal in shape to facilitate the deposit and high capacity storageof grain processed by the processing system 16 (FIG. 1). In oneembodiment, the bin 38 is formed through a well-known plasticforming/molding process, such as a rotational molding process (also,roto-molding or roto-mold process). In some embodiments, the bin may beformed according to other mechanisms, such as injection or blow moldingprocesses. The bin 38 may be formed according to a plurality ofdifferent geometric configurations and/or sizes, with one goal towardachieving a compatible fit to the now-replaced metal grain storage bin(or in some embodiments, occupying a smaller space). In one embodiment,the space between the dual walls of the bin 38 may comprise a singlecompartment having a defined fluid storage volume for the storage offluid. The fluid may be a fluid for a given subsystem (e.g.,engine/drivetrain, coolant system, catalytic converter, brake system,steering system, etc.) of the combine harvester 10, such as fuel (e.g.,diesel), hydraulic fluid, window wash fluid, diesel exhaust fluid (DEF)(e.g., for selective catalytic reduction (SCR) systems), among otherfluids that are compatible with plastic materials. In some embodiments,the space between the dual walls of the bin 38 may be occupied by aplurality of compartments, formed in the rotational molding process, forinstance, by kiss-offs well-known in plastic molding practice, amongother plastic forming methods. In this respect, each compartment that isformed between the dual walls of the bin 38 provides a segregated andsealed compartment for the storage of different fluids. It should beappreciated that in some embodiments, a plurality of the compartmentsmay be used to store the same fluid (e.g., for increased volumecapacity). In some embodiments, the space between the two walls may beoccupied with an insulating material disposed between adjacentcompartments to provide a more manageable control of temperature for thefluid or fluids of those compartments. In the embodiment depicted inFIG. 2, the bin 38 is embodied with a single compartment that includesthe entire inner space between the two walls of the bin 38.

The bin 38 is also shown schematically with an inlet port 48 disposed onthe top of one (e.g., the rear side, though not limited as such) of thesides of the bin 38. The inlet port 48 is configured to receive thefluid for deposit and storage in the compartment between the two walls.The inlet port 48 may have be an aperture or opening in one or more ofthe side walls, and in some embodiments, may comprise a hingeably-acting(or screw-type or snap-off or pull-off-type), closeable cover or cap. Insome embodiments, the inlet port 48 may include a fixed (or detachable)screen that is used to mitigate the entry of contaminants. In someembodiment, the bin 38 may comprise a plurality of inlet ports of thesame or different geometry and/or size than shown in FIG. 2, andsimilarly may be used to facilitate the deposit of the fluid. Thoughshown on the top side, external surface of the bin 38, some embodimentsmay have an inlet port disposed on another exterior surface, such as inan upper portion of a wall (e.g., front, back, and/or side(s)) forinstance. As should be appreciated by one having ordinary skill in theart, in the context of the present disclosure, additional inlet portsmay be disposed on the bin 38 for respective compartments to receivedifferent fluids, each segregated from one another.

Referring to FIG. 3, shown is a bottom portion of the bin 38 of FIG. 2.The bin 38 comprises, in one embodiment, apertures 50 and 52 disposed onthe bottom of the bin 38. Disposed beneath the aperture 50 is a crossauger 54 running transversely in the combine harvester 10. The aperture50 enables, in one embodiment, an uninterrupted passageway between theinterior space of the bin 38 and the cross auger 54. For instance, thecross auger 54 may be housed in a trough (not shown), the troughcomprising a metal container with four (4) upright sides that mate witha rectangular portion 56 residing on an underside of the bin 38 anddefining a border of the aperture 50. The trough may have an aperture onthe left hand side, enabling the cross auger 54 to extend from theinterior space of the trough to couple with the auger 44 (FIG. 1) of theunloading spout 42 (FIG. 1). The cross auger 54 conveys the processedcrop material or grain (e.g., threshed and separated and cleaned) to theauger 44 of the grain unloading spout 42 for discharge to, for instance,another vehicle. The trough may also serve a function of support for atleast a portion of the bin 38. In some embodiments, the lower surface ofthe bin 38, such as slanted rear wall 58 (a double wall structure), maybe extended to a front wall 60 (also double-walled), which serves toencompass the cross auger 54, where an aperture may be disposed on theleft hand side of the extended surface for extension of the cross auger54. With regard to the aperture 52, the processed grain is conveyed tothe bin 38 via an elevator mechanism (not shown) that is disposed inaperture 52. In some embodiments, the aperture 52 may be omitted, andthe elevator may reside on the side of bin 38, where the grain isdeposited from the elevator mechanism and over the top edge and into thebin 38. Although described using augers for grain conveyance, it shouldbe appreciated that in some embodiments, the combine harvester 10 mayinclude additional and/or other conveying apparatuses or mechanisms(e.g., endless belts, slats, etc.).

The bin 38 may include other apertures, such as aperture 62 disposed infront wall 60 for enabling visual monitoring, from the cab 14 (FIG. 1),of the interior space of the bin 38. Also shown is an outlet port 64(shown schematically) located at a lower portion of the bin 38. Aconduit (e.g., hoses, tubing, etc.) from the outlet port to a subsystemis omitted here to avoid obfuscating certain features. In someembodiments, the outlet port 64 may be located elsewhere, and in someembodiments, there may be more than a single outlet port (e.g., in thecase of multiple outlets for a single fluid, multiple outlets forrespective fluid compartments and fluids, etc.). The outlet port 64 maycomprise an opening in the bottom of the bin 38 (or above the bottom insome embodiments), such as the case of fuel that continuously feeds thecombine harvester engine with, for instance, the assistance of a pump(and possibly an intermediary reservoir) that controls fluid flow (orother fluid control apparatus, such as a check valve). In someembodiments, the outlet port 64 may be configured for controlled access.For instance, in one embodiment, the outlet port 64 may be configured asa cover or cap with threads that enable the cap to be screwed on andoff, or as a hinged cap. In some embodiments, the outlet port 64 may beconfigured as an aperture fitted with a flow control valve, such as acheck valve, among other types of valves.

The outlet port 64 may be always open, manually opened and closed,automatically opened and closed through the use of a servo or otheractuator, or semi-automatically opened and close (e.g., based onoperational controls (e.g., switches, levers, etc.) in the cab 14 (FIG.1)). Sensors in the compartment (or in plural compartments in someembodiments) located between the two walls of the bin 38 may detect thelevels (and/or pressure) of the fluid, and signal to an operator in thecab 14 that levels are low and in need of replenishment. In someimplementations, such as where the combine harvester 10 (FIG. 1) isoperating in a storm where visibility from the cab 14 is obscured due todirty windows, the operator in the cab 14 may signal the need (e.g., viaactuation of a switch on the console in the cab 14) for window washing,and responsive to the actuation of the switch, the outlet port 64 may beopened and the fluid discharged for use on the window (e.g., via a pumpassist). As another example, in some implementations, a level sensor ina smaller container for the fluid (closer to the cab 14) may signalfluid levels below a threshold, and the signal is received by anactuator associated with the outlet port 64 to open and release adefined quantity of fluid for replenishment (e.g., all without operatorintervention). As yet another example, fluid for a hand or eye wash maybe discharged from one of the compartments of the bin 38 through manualadjustment of, for instance, a petcock valve coupled to, or serving as,the outlet port 64. These and/or other examples of semi-automated orautomated control for other fluids are contemplated to be within thescope of the disclosure.

Referring to FIG. 4, shown is another view (e.g., top perspective view)of the bin 38 of FIG. 2, further revealing certain features of the bin38. In the embodiment depicted in FIG. 4, the bin 38 comprises plural(e.g., all) sides having a double-walled construction. For instance, thebin 38 comprises opposing, upright dual sidewalls 66A, 66B, the uprightfront wall 60 with the aperture 62 optionally disposed thereinapproximately centrally in the transverse direction (though not limitedto a centralized location), and the slanted rear wall 58 having afore-to-aft upward slant. Also shown is the inlet port 48 on a topsurface 68 of upright rear wall 70. As best seen in FIG. 4, the grainthat is deposited on the cross auger 54 is conveyed to the auger 44 ofthe grain unloading spout 42.

It should be appreciated that, in the case of a plurality ofcompartments, one compartment may store a first fluid in the spacebetween the dual walls of the upright and slanted rear walls 70 and 58,respectively, another separate compartment may be disposed in the spacebetween the dual walls of the side wall 66B, enabling the storage of asecond fluid. Likewise, another fluid may be stored in the compartmentcorresponding to the space between the dual walls of the side wall 66B,and yet another fluid may be stored in between the dual walls of theupright front wall 60. The above description is merely illustrative ofan example multi-compartment bin 38, whereas compartments may be dividedotherwise with fewer or additional compartments in some embodiments, asenabled by the use of kiss-offs or other segregation and/or sealingtechniques in the plastic molding (e.g., rotational molding) process.

Attention is now directed to the bin 38 shown in FIGS. 5A-5C, whichshows the bin 38 in various views. Referring to FIG. 5A, the bin 38 isshown in perspective, with the inlet port 48 shown schematically on thetop surface 68 of the upright rear wall 70 (as one example), and theaddition of formations or supports (e.g., ribs) 72 that arevertically-configured and integrally formed (through the plastic moldingprocess) along the interior side of the upright rear wall 70 of the bin38, among other interior walls (e.g., depicted schematically in FIG. 5Aalong the interior side of side wall 66B). Though shown vertically, someembodiments may have horizontal formations, or a combination of verticaland horizontal formations in different arrangements than those depictedin FIG. 5A, or none at in some embodiments. In some embodiments, theformations 72 may be disposed on the exterior surfaces of the bin 38 inlieu of, or in addition to, the formations disposed internally. Theformations serve to add support to the bin 38.

In FIG. 5B, an overhead plan view of the bin 38 is shown, with theaperture 50 adjacent slanted rear wall 58, the inlet port 48, and theformations 72 along the interior sides of walls 60, 66A, 66B, and 70depicted.

Taking a perspective along cut-away A-A, and referring to FIG. 5C, shownis a portion of the bin 38, with the sidewall 66B shown with pluralformations 72 vertically arranged on the interior surface of thesidewall 66B. The inlet port 48 enables the deposit of a fluid in thespace between the dual walls of the upright rear wall 70. Taking theupright rear wall 70 and slanted rear wall 58 as an illustrative exampleof the double wall feature, the upright rear wall 70 and the slantedrear wall 58 are shown with a first (e.g., top) wall 74 and a second(e.g., bottom) wall 76, which forms a space or compartment 78 therebetween for the storage of fluid. Although the slanted rear wall 58 isshown as having a wider space than the upright rear wall 70, it shouldbe appreciated that each double wall may be of the same or substantiallythe same width in some embodiments, and that in some embodiments, asmaller width than shown is contemplated to be within the scope of thedisclosure.

In one embodiment, located in the compartment 78, toward the upper end,is a sensor 80. The sensor 80 may be of an immersive sensor type (e.g.,in contact with the fluid of the compartment 78), or a non-immersive(e.g., not in contact with the fluid) type. The sensor 80 may be securedto the inlet port 48, or in some embodiments, affixed to the uprightrear wall 70. In some embodiments, the sensor may be located elsewhere,and in some embodiments secured according to other well known fasteningmechanisms. Also shown in schematic is a flow control apparatusconfigured, in one embodiment, as a pump 82, though in some embodiments,other types of devices such as a flow control valves, etc. may be used.The pump 82 is coupled to the outlet port 64, enabling the controlleddischarge of the fluid stored in the compartment 78 located between thewalls 74 and 76 to a subsystem of the combine harvester 10 (FIG. 1). Insome embodiments, flow through the outlet port 64 may be uncontrolled,where flow to one or more subsystems may rely merely on gravity feed(e.g., through an open aperture of the outlet port 64). In someembodiments, flow throughput may be controlled (e.g., by an actuator toopen and close the outlet port 64), but once open, flow may becontrolled or uncontrolled (e.g., gravity feed).

As is clear from the example embodiments described above, certainembodiments of a combine harvester 10 (FIG. 1) with a double-walledplastic grain storage bin 38 (FIG. 1) may enable a reduction in assemblycosts and/or quantity of parts associated with conventional metal grainbins, as well as the capability to free up space based on the multipletypes of fluid storage that the bin 38 provides in lieu of separatecontainers that are conventionally present in addition to the bin 38.

It should be emphasized that the above-described embodiments of thepresent disclosure, particularly, any “preferred” embodiments, aremerely possible examples of implementations, merely set forth for aclear understanding of the principles of the disclosure. Many variationsand modifications may be made to the above-described embodiment(s) ofthe disclosure without departing substantially from the spirit andprinciples of the disclosure. All such modifications and variations areintended to be included herein within the scope of this disclosure andprotected by the following claims.

At least the following is claimed:
 1. A combine harvester, comprising: achassis; a processing system coupled to the chassis, the processingsystem comprising threshing, separating and cleaning components; and adouble-walled, plastic grain storage bin coupled to the chassis, the binconfigured to store crop material processed by the processing system andstore fluid, for use by the combine harvester, in between the dual wallsof the bin.
 2. The combine harvester of claim 1, further comprising aninlet port disposed on an external surface of the bin to receive thefluid.
 3. The combine harvester of claim 1, further comprising a sensorcoupled to the bin and used to monitor a level, pressure, or combinationof both the pressure and the level of the fluid disposed in between thedual walls of the bin.
 4. The combine harvester of claim 1, furthercomprising one or more outlet ports disposed on an external surface ofthe bin to enable a flow of the fluid from in between the dual walls ofthe bin to one or more subsystems of the combine harvester.
 5. Thecombine harvester of claim 4, further comprising a flow controlapparatus operatively coupled to the outlet port, the flow controlapparatus configured to control the flow of the fluid through the outletport.
 6. The combine harvester of claim 1, wherein the bin is formedaccording to a rotational molding process.
 7. The combine harvester ofclaim 1, wherein the bin comprises a plurality of separate and sealedcompartments in between the dual walls of the bin.
 8. The combineharvester of claim 7, wherein a first of the plurality of compartmentsis configured to receive a first fluid and a second of the plurality ofcompartments is configured to receive a second fluid different than thefirst fluid, the first and second fluids isolated from each other. 9.The combine harvester of claim 7, wherein each of the plurality ofcompartments comprises an inlet port and an outlet port disposed on oneor more external surfaces of the bin.
 10. The combine harvester of claim1, wherein the bin comprises plural apertures disposed on the bin. 11.The combine harvester of claim 10, further comprising a conveyingapparatus, wherein a first of the apertures is disposed on a bottomportion of the bin and comprises an uninterrupted passageway between aninterior volume of the bin and the conveying apparatus.
 12. The combineharvester of claim 11, further comprising a second of the apertures thatenables a flow of the processed crop material to the bin.
 13. A combineharvester, comprising: a chassis; and a double-walled, plastic grainstorage bin coupled to the chassis, the bin configured to store cropmaterial processed by the combine harvester.
 14. The combine harvesterof claim 13, further comprising a processing system coupled to thechassis, the processing system comprising a threshing and separatingrotor and a cleaning system.
 15. The combine harvester of claim 13,further comprising a compartment located between the dual walls of thebin, the compartment comprising an inlet port and a corresponding outletport disposed on one or more external surfaces of the bin, thecompartment configured to store fluid.
 16. The combine harvester ofclaim 15, wherein the fluid is used in a subsystem of the combineharvester.
 17. The combine harvester of claim 13, further comprising aplurality compartments located between the dual walls of the bin, eachcompartment separate and sealed from an adjacent compartment of theplurality of compartments.
 18. The combine harvester of claim 17,wherein each of the plurality of compartments comprises an inlet portand an outlet port disposed on one or more external surfaces of the bin.19. The combine harvester of claim 13, wherein the bin comprises pluralapertures disposed on the bin, and a conveying apparatus, wherein afirst of the apertures is disposed on a bottom portion of the bin andcomprises an uninterrupted passageway between an interior volume of thebin and the conveying apparatus, and a second of the apertures enables aflow of the processed crop material to the bin.
 20. A combine harvester,comprising: a chassis; and a rotationally-molded, double-walled, plasticgrain storage bin coupled to the chassis, the bin comprising a firststorage volume that receives and stores crop material processed by thecombine harvester and a second storage volume between the dual walls ofthe bin that receives and stores fluid used by the combine harvester.